Salt Life
by Spark Plug x
Summary: Everyone was rooting for them. The ex-aqua grunt was now sure though that drowning himself would be a hell of a lot less painful than this, and the fire lover knew he was making a mistake, but he couldn't take it back. PopPunkRejectShipping (CassiusxMikhail) Yaoi and slight SaltLifeShipping (CassiusxMarlon)
1. Chapter 1

**This story has a lot of breaks in it and time skips a lot sorry not sorry**. **This story will contain yaoi (male on male action) if you do not like, please click the back button now. **

**Surprisingly, a lot of people wanted me to write this.**

* * *

It was warm, very warm, with a nice summer breeze blowing as Leighton, Jordan, and Mikhail walked down the boardwalk, heading towards the multiple bonfires that were scattered along the beach. The sun was just now starting to set, but they started the bonfires early.

"Aren't you glad we came now?" Leighton smiled as Lily waved at them.

"I dunno." Mikhail shrugged, a little unsure.

"Not really." Jordan grumbled and Leighton rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, you two. We're young, we need to act like it." Leighton said and smiled as they approached their friends. "Thanks for waving us over, Lily." She smiled at the dirty blonde, who was holding onto Flint happily. "These two are already being party poopers."

"Awah, you two." Lily smiled at them. "Mikhail, brighten it up. Jordan, well, at least make an attempt." Leighton laughed at this. Mikhail glanced around, feeling a little weird not being in his baggy jacket, but Leighton has insisted that he'd not wear it tonight. He was stuck in a black shirt and some shorts he had laying around. He looked around, trying to find someone amongst the crowd.

"Looking for someone?" Natalie asked, walking up to the group.

"Nooooo." He mumbled, but Nate knew he was lying. "Cassius is coming. Skitty ran off earlier, so he went chasing after her." She said.

As if on cue, Cassius jogged up to them and Mikhail's brain shut off as he looked at the male. His hair had that total 'wind-blown' look (especially since the wind was blowing) and it looked very soft. He wore his usual outfit, cut off cargo pants that were cutoff at his knees, a plain white tank top and a white blue pinstriped button up t-shirt that was always unbuttoned. He looked like a fucking model. Cassius grinned at them all and held Skitty in his arms. "She's the devil."

"I remember when you got her!" Leighton said, launching into the story. Volkner appeared beside Mikhail and nudged him with his elbow before putting his arm around Nate's waist.

"You alright?" He asked Mikhail, furrowing his brows.

"Just..fine.." Mikhail sighed. He was really off this week. He hadn't ever felt like this for someone before. Of course, he had crushes (Like Jordan), but, Cassius was different. He was a sex god and utter perfection, and he was leaving him for who knows how long? Okay, maybe for a month? He, Leighton and Jordan were going to Kanto and Johto for a little while. Leighton was always ready to leave her home, Jordan was fine going somewhere as long as he could research psychic pokemon, like unknown, and Mikhail followed them, mostly because he loved adventure and he loved his friends.

Music started playing some poppy tune and he relaxed a little. The party was supposed to mean the start of summer, even though summer in Sunyshore basically started mid-April, as it did get warm and hot very quickly.

"So how long are you guys going to be gone?" Lily asked Leighton, trying to start a conversation.

"I'm thinking a whole month this time." Leighton said, surprising Mikhail. "Kanto and Johto are so beautiful during the summer! Besides, it'll be fun to stay that long there."

"There's a lot of ruins in those two regions." Nate added, glancing at Jordan. "You're going to have tons to do."

"Good." He muttered, crossing his arms. "I can do that while Leighton and Mikhail go battle gym leaders and such."

"You'll get lots done in a month." Cassius said, a little surprised himself. "That's a pretty long time to be gone, but Olivine City is beautiful during the summer."

"I wanna spend a lot of time there!" Leighton's eyes lit up as she began talking about all the things she wants to see and do while in the two foreign regions. Mikhail wasn't very enthusiastic about it. He usually was about traveling, but he'd rather sit this one out and stay in Sunyshore with Cassius. Still, he wasn't going to do that. He would miss Jordan too much, maybe even Leighton, and he would have nothing to do.

Lily spent most of her time up in the Snowpoint Temple, as she was a guardian of it, Volkner was busy with the gym, Flint was busy being an Elite Four member, Natalie was busy working on ruins and other ancient things with Cynthia, along with being a coordinator, and Cassius was a lifeguard and worked all day, every day, leaving Mikhail with no one to hang out with.

He felt someone nudged him and he looked to see Cassius standing beside him, a worried expression on his face. "You okay there?" He asked as Leighton continued talking to the rest of the group.

"Yeah, I just didn't know we'd been spending practically the whole summer away." He shrugged.

"It'll be fun though and it's only one month." Cassius replied, looking towards the bonfire they were close to. "This place is nice, but it can get boring, besides, aren't you always up for some adventure?" He looked back to Mikhail, who just stared at him, completely lost in his eyes, as cliché as it sounded. "You in there?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Mikhail nodded his head and turned to look at the fire. "I guess you're right."

"What, did you fall in love with someone here or something?" Cassius joked and laughed, obviously not being serious. Mikhail laughed as well, though he wasn't entirely sure at the moment. "Someone catch your eye? Don't worry, there's tons of guys at the beaches of Olivine City. It's just like here."

"I doubt they have you though…" He muttered softly.

"Hm?" Cassius asked, not catching what he said. "Sorry, I didn't get that."

"Oh, I said I bet you're right." Mikhail lied just as Leighton finished talking.

"Aren't you going to travel this summer?" Leighton asked Cassius, knowing he was itching to go on a trip.

"My gramps got a new job with my parents, so I'm heading to Hoenn to take him to them." Cassius shrugged.

"You're going to Hoenn?" Nate asked, slightly worried. "Only for a half a day." Cassius reassured her. "I'm getting him and then leaving, no worries."

"Maybe we'll see you when you drop him off." Jordan added and Mikhail felt a pang of hope in his chest.

"Maybe. I might do some surfing in Olivine City before I head back here." Cassius rubbed the back of his neck, a smile on his face.

After another hour of standing around and chatting, the group broke off, some going to dance, or to walk along the beach. Mikhail excused himself by saying he was getting too hot by the bonfire and walked off closer to the ocean.

He really didn't understand why he was so upset to be leaving Cassius for a month. They probably wouldn't even be gone that long, and besides, Cassius wasn't into him like that. He was just a really friendly guy, who flirted without realizing it, even if Cassius was bi, it didn't mean he was into Mikhail. He just really, really liked Cassius. It sort of scared him how much he liked the male.

"Isn't it pretty at night?" A male voice from behind Mikhail broke him out of his thoughts and startled him. "Shit, sorry, I thought ya heard me coming." Cassius apologized.

"It's fine, uh, yeah, it is pretty." Mikhail crossed his arms, now regretting leaving the bonfire. It was getting chilly out. Everyone had brought a jacket or a hoodie, even Cassius was wearing his bright red lifeguard hoodie. Of course, Mikhail didn't bring one, so he was stuck being cold.

"You cold?" Cassius asked, seeing him shiver. He was already pulling off his hoodie and handing it to the other blond boy before he could respond. "Wear this."

"A-Are you sure?" Mikhail asked, holding the hoodie in his hands. Was he really going to get to wear Cassius' hoodie? He was never going to get it back.

"You need it more than I do, so put it on." Cassius said and Mikhail pulled it on, sighing in the warmth of it. It smelled like the ocean and Cassius and was so warm, it made him smile. "C'mon." Cassius started to walk along the shoreline and Mikhail followed closely.

"So, you're heading back to Lilycove soon?" Mikhail asked, not liking the silence.

"Yeah, but I really won't be there too long." Cassius put his hands in his pockets, looking ahead.

"You don't miss it?" Mikhail even got homesick sometimes.

"Not really. I was born in Slateport, then I moved to Lilycove with my grandpa once he got a new job there. Besides, Johto is more of a home for me since my parents live there now. Hoenn is just..." He paused once they reached a lifeguard chair. He climbed up then held his hand out to Mikhail, who grabbed it and climbed up into the chair, sitting down next to Cassius. "It's great. Tons of water, tropical climate, great waves, it just isn't home anymore. Too much shit went down."

"Do you think you'll ever go back there for more than one day?" Mikhail asked, glancing at Cassius. His hair ruffled in the wind and he looked out at the ocean biting his lip and thinking about his answer. Mikhail huddled into the hoodie more as the wind blew.

"No." Cassius said, shaking his head.

"Why not?"

"All I can remember about that place is all the mistakes I made. All the people I robbed, terrorized, hurt, and caused trouble for." He said, his voice almost getting lost in the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. "Same reason Nate doesn't wanna go back."

"But, you two aren't bad people."

"We were bad people, we knew we were, we just didn't fully grasp it. We got pulled in when we were young and naïve." Cassius sighed, glancing down before he looked back up. "Some people still think we're bad people. Once a criminal, always a criminal, ya know?" He asked, looking at Mikhail. They locked eyes for a few moments before Cassius looked away again. Mikhail scooted closer, getting a chill despite the warm hoodie. "Once my grandpa leaves Lilycove, nothing will tie me there anymore. Nate's mom already moved out of Hoenn and to Johto, so she has no ties to it anymore. I'll be happy once he's with my parents, safe. I caused a hell of a lot of trouble for him."

"You weren't bad though." Mikhail mumbled, his arm now resting against Cassius'. He wished he didn't have the hoodie on so his skin could be pressed against his.

"Yeah, I was." Cassius nodded his head. "You and Leighton and Jordan saw me towards the end, when I didn't care anymore. All I wanted to do then was to leave, but then I met Nate and I couldn't leave and let her get completely destroyed by her team, then Lily showed up and I got worried about her and finally Leighton joined and I knew she couldn't be left alone."

"If you were a bad guy, you wouldn't have worried about any of them." Mikhail said firmly, grabbing hold of Cassius' arm, his fingers warm against Cassius' cold skin. "Don't let the past affect you now. You've changed. You're a good guy now, got it? As an official good guy, I hereby promote you to good guy status. Nate is still pending." He joked and Cassius laughed loudly, pulling Mikhail against him.

"You're good, Mikhail. What the hell am I going to do without you for a whole month?" Cassius asked, smiling at the boy. Mikhail just smirked back and shrugged, happy he made Cassius feel better.

"I dunno. It'll be a tough month though." He joked before it got quiet between them.

"Sure will be." Cassius said, now more seriously. Mikhail looked at him, not sure what else to say. Cassius' arm was still around him, and it felt nice. Mikhail thought that maybe Cassius was going to kiss him. If this was a romance movie, he definitely would, but of course, things don't work out that way.

His Xtransceiver began to ring, and Cassius' arm pulled away from him, the warm feeling now gone. Mikhail groaned and answered the device, not happy.

"What." He asked, irritation clear in his voice.

"Where are you? It's late." Jordan's voice chided. "We have a boat to catch early tomorrow morning, you need to head back here so you get plenty of sleep."

"Fine. I'll be home soon." He hung up and slid the phone back into his pocket. He was never usually short like that with his friend, but he felt cock blocked.

"It is late." Cassius said, looking at his watch. He jumped off the chair, then held his arms out to help Mikhail down. "So…" He mumbled once Mikhail was safely on the ground. "I'll see you…?" He questioned, not sure what to say.

"Uh..in…a…month?" Mikhail raised his eyebrows. Both of them looked at the ground, then each other. Mikhail started to turn around when Cassius reached out quickly, catching a hold of the hoodie sleeve and pulled Mikhail to him. He kissed him, surprising Mikhail, whose eyes were wide open, before he gently grabbed hold of Cassius' short sleeved over shirt and closed his eyes, sinking into the kiss.

It was an amazing kiss. Mikhail really didn't want to stop and honestly, he would not have objected if Cassius wanted to do him right then and there, but of course, that didn't happen. The kiss was broken when both needed air and Mikhail's face was bright red.

"I'll see you when you get back." Cassius smiled and winked at Mikhail, who just nodded his head and walked away, in a slight daze.

* * *

"You excited to be heading home?" Leighton asked Mikhail as she approached him on the boat. A month had past and they were on their way back to Sunyshore. Mikhail nodded his head, a nervous feeling in his stomach. He hadn't told anyone about Cassius kissing him, or Cassius calling him or texting him or anything that had to do with Cassius within the last month.

He really didn't want Leighton all over him asking questions before he even got to go on an actual date with Cassius. He didn't know if it would work with Cassius, he sure hoped it did, but it might not.

"Cassius has been calling you a lot." Leighton added and Mikhail froze.

"Ah, yeah, he's been wanting to know if I've actually learned how to swim yet." Mikhail laughed and laughed, hoping she'd believe it.

"Like you could swim." She joked and walked towards Jordan, leaving Mikhail.

* * *

The boat pulled up to port in Sunyshore within the next few hours. They grabbed their luggage and got off the ship as Lily waved them down. She hugged each of them when they approached her and she lead them off the port. "Sorry, Volkner is busy today so he couldn't come. Natalie was going to come, but she's busy too."

"That's alright." Leighton said, though she wish Nate was here to carrying her bags for her.

"What about Cas?" Mikhail asked, a little disappointed that the male wasn't there to greet them.

"He had a late night last night, I think he's still asleep back at him and Nate's place." Lily explained and Mikhail frowned, disappointed that Cassius wasn't here. Nevertheless, he went on with the group as they dropped their luggage off at their own places and walked around Sunyshore as Lily filled them in on all the things that happened while they were gone.

"If you wanna go visit Cassius, you can." Lily told Mikhail as they passed by Nate and Cassius' apartment. "I was just about to take y'all to this awesome new yogurt place."

"I'll pass on the yogurt." Mikhail smiled, climbing the stairs to their apartment.

"We won't!" Leighton declared, following Lily. Jordan groaned, but Leighton just smiled at him, actually happy to be back home. "Have fun~!" She called back to Mikhail, winking at him. Mikhail glared back, but knocked on the door, hoping Cassius was still home.

"Oh, hey." Natalie greeted when she answered the door. She opened it more so he could come in. "Cassius is asleep in his room, but feel free to go wake his lazy ass up." She picked up her bag and Espeon jumped off the couch to follow her master out the door. "I've got work with Cynthia to do, so please, make sure Cassius eats and actually gets up before 3 in the afternoon." She said and shut the door, leaving him standing there.

He nervously walked down the short hallway and stopped at Cassius's door, it was cracked, so he just nudged the door and opened it. Umbreon was asleep in Cassius' desk chair, but the dark type pokemon woke up to the sounds of Mikhail entering the room. He gave Mikhail a one over before going back to sleep. Cassius' bed was by the big window that was wide open. The curtains on it were down, but the ocean breeze was blowing them everywhere. His room had a salty but sweet smell to it.

Cassius was stretched out on the bed, tangled up in the covers. His boxers had wave prints on them and his face was buried in a pillow. Simply put, he was adorable looking. He didn't look like an ex- Aqua Grunt that would stab you in the back and take your pokemon, he just looked adorable.

Mikhail patted his leg, trying to wake him up as gently as possible. "Hey, Cassius, it's one in the afternoon."

"Hmfg" He mumbled, turning over in the bed. Mikhail shook his shoulder now, more roughly. "Whatttttttttttttt?" Cassius whined, opening his eyes just a little. "M-Mikhail?" Cassius sat up, wide awake now. "You're back!" He smiled, pulling Mikhail onto the bed and into a tight hug and nuzzling his cheek affectionately.

"C-Cassius!" Mikhail exclaimed, embarrassed by Cassius' actions. His cheeks got redder as Cassius pulled him in for a quick kiss.

"I'm so happy to see you." Cassius said, much more calmly. "But I am so tired. Let's take a nap."

"A-A nap?!" Mikhail struggled to get out of Cassius' grip, but the blond wouldn't let go. He wasn't so sure he was okay being so close to the male so soon.

"I'm really worn out…I promise I'll take you out tonight as a 'first date' okay?" Cassius yawned, closing his eyes. "But let's nap for a little while…"

* * *

Mikhail woke up later, he didn't know how much later, but the sun was setting and casting an orange and pink glow into Cassius' room. He hadn't realized how tired he actually was. "Cassius?" Mikhail questioned, looking around the bedroom. The blond and brunet male was nowhere to be seen around the room. He groaned, hating having the leave the warm and soft bed. He trudged out into the hallway and into the living room and kitchen space.

"Hey!" Cassius greeted, coming off of the balcony and back inside the house. "You must've been tired, you slept for almost six hours."

"Six hours!?" Mikhail exclaimed, searching himself for his phone. Jordan or Leighton must have called him wondering where he was.

"Leighton called me, don't worry." Cassius crossed the room with a few long strides. "I told her you crashed on the couch. I figured you hadn't told her that I kissed you before you left, or that we've been talking on the phone a lot." Cassius shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "So you hungry? There's this awesome frozen yogurt place a little ways down the road. I know we've basically done this whole 'relationship' thing out of order but whatever, let's go on a date!"

Mikhail blushed, embarrassed even though it was just the two of them in the apartment. "Fine fine." He mumbled, letting Cassius take his hand and pull him out of the place and onto the streets on Sunyshore. He was still nervous. He had never been in a relationship, but Cassius seemed fearless about it, so he tried not to worry so much.

* * *

"You sure love coming to the beach." Leighton mumbled as Mikhail joined her. It had been two months since he and Cassius began to date, and he still hadn't told anyone. "Fine by me though. I need to get my tan all nice and ready before fall and winter. I got this new lotion that helps keep tans longer." She continued, rubbing sunblock on her arm. Leighton was usually down by the beach during summer. She wanted to tan and relax and it gave her a perfect excuse to not be with her family.

"It's nice." Mikhail said, smiling at Cassius, who waved at them from his stand. A few girls walking by giggled, thinking he was waving at them. They waved back and he shot Mikhail a confused expression, but waved at the girls.

Being in a relationship with Cassius was…different. Cassius was affectionate and carefree. He wanted to be with Mikhail all the time and wanted to do whatever Mikhail wanted to do. It was weird, at first, and still was that Cassius didn't mind spending all his free time with Mikhail. He never grew tired of him it seemed. Mikhail was still getting used to it.

"So how long have you and Cassius been together?" Leighton asked, snapping Mikhail out of his thoughts. "What?" Mikhail asked. "We're not….we're not dating."

"Mikhail. You've been going out almost every night with him and every day he has off, you're with him."

"We're not dating." Mikhail said again, shaking his head as Cassius approached them, on his lunch break. "Hey guys!" He greeted, eyes lingering on Mikhail longer than usual.

"Hey, Cas. How long have you and Mikhail been dating?" Leighton asked, smiling brightly. "Awah, you told her without me?" Cassius asked, looking at Mikhail.

"I KNEW IT!" She squealed, jumping out of her chair to hug Cassius. "Finally! Yes! Jordan told me I was crazy, but I knew you two were together!"

"Cassius!" Mikhail groaned, shaking his head.

"Oh." Cassius muttered, feeling dumb. "Sorry, but, you know, it was time they knew. Natalie asked me last night if we were together. She actually was like, 'So how long were you planning to keep you and Mikhail a secret from me?' and she was sort of mad I hadn't told her sooner."

"Can you blame her? We've been rooting for you two to get together for forever!" Leighton punched his arm. "Oh good, you two are so adorable together! Gah! So happy!" Her smile was huge and Mikhail was officially embarrassed.

"I'm glad you're happy, but I only have 30 minutes to eat lunch, so I'm goin' have to kidnap Mikhail now." Cassius pulled Mikhail away, walking past the giggling girls from earlier, who were now staring after them, eyes wide.

"I thought you got hour lunch breaks?" Mikhail asked, smirking at the girls as Cassius held his hand.

"Since it's the end of the beach season, people have been seriously cramming up the beaches. We barely have enough lifeguards and even water pokemon to make sure no one drowns." Cassius complained, heading over to the concession stands to get him something to eat. "You hungry?" He asked Mikhail, who just shook his head. "Sure? Alright. Sorry about spilling the beans earlier, but it's about time we told them."

"By now they all know." Mikhail muttered. "Lily won't be happy to have been left out of the loop."

"It'll be fine." Cassius smiled, reassuring Mikhail. "Oh crap, I gotta go." Cassius gave Mikhail a quick kiss as his beeper went off.

"You didn't even get to eat!" Mikhail called after him as he ran off. It had barely been 5 minutes!

"Duty calls!"

* * *

It was starting to get colder in Sunyshore. The trees were losing their leaves, but it meant Cassius had more free time with Mikhail. Mikhail had actually missed having Cassius around him all the time. It wasn't that he hated how clingy Cassius could be, he just wasn't used to having someone love him or want to be around him like that. The only friend he had really had was Jordan, and Jordan was the exact opposite of Cassius.

Mikhail found it difficult sometimes, within the 4 months he and Cassius had been dating, to be with Cassius. He just wanted to know everything about Mikhail, but Mikhail didn't want to tell him anything. He didn't have the greatest childhood, and he didn't like to talk about it.

"You okay?" Cassius asked, noticing the worried look Mikhail wore as they walked the beach one night. "Hey, so, Leighton told me you had a sister. Why hadn't you told me about her?" Cassius asked, a little hurt. He barely knew anything about Mikhail, and although Leighton knew a little more than him it wasn't much.

"What did she tell you?" Mikhail asked, turning to look at Cassius. "Oh, uh, not much, just that you had a sister…." Cassius replied. "I just asked her if she ever met you family. You never talk about them so I didn't know if you didn't get along with them or if they were you know…dead."

Mikhail turned forward again, more annoyed. Why did Cassius have to be noisy? His business was his business. Mikhail knew he was being a little dramatic, but, he wasn't used to this.

"Why don't you ever talk about her? Do you two not get along?" Cassius asked. "I don't wanna talk about her, okay?" Mikhail told him.

"But why not?" Cassius asked, confused. "Why do you want to know things about me?" Mikhail asked, more harsh sounding than he wanted to be. Cassius was taken aback by this, but didn't back down. "Why would I want to know about you? I'm dating you."

"All you do is ask me questions, it's so annoying." Mikhail glared, tired of being questioned by Cassius. It had been happening a lot more lately than usual.

"Well I'm sorry for wanting to know about my boyfriend. Mikhail, you never tell me anything."

"I don't want to talk about it, why can't you just let it go?"

"How can I just let it go?" Cassius asked, getting angry himself. "I can't go my life just knowing your first and last name and your favorite things. I want to know where you're from and your family! Mikhail, I know as much about you as a stranger does."

"I like it that way! You are getting on my nerves! You're always around me and you're so clingy!" He exclaimed and realized he might have gone too far. His brain began to shut down and he didn't look at Cassius, knowing he had gone too far.

"I just care about you…" Cassius trailed off, looking at the ground. He cared about Mikhail, a lot. He adored Mikhail to pieces. Mikhail made him so happy and made him feel like maybe he hadn't screwed up his entire life. "You never tell me how you feel. Look, I'm sorry, I won't butt into your business again an-"

"I want to break up." Mikhail said, interrupting him. He didn't want to break up with Cassius, but he was saying it and it was happening. His mind was saying two different things and he didn't know what to do. He had never dealt with people like Cassius, people who were affectionate and wanted to know about him. Jordan always let Mikhail do things at his own pace.

"Break up?" Cassius' voice cracked as he said this, hoping he heard wrong. "Woah, isn't this a little too hasty?" He asked, but Mikhail didn't respond. "Mikhail….we can talk this through." Cassius added, still, Mikhail ignored him. Mikhail glanced up at him and saw how tears threatened to fall from Cassius' eyes and how heartbroken he looked. Cassius could feel his heart rip in two and wanted to go drown himself in the ocean, because he was sure it was a hell of a lot less painful than this. "Okay…I'll…I'll see you later….or…not." He turned and walked away, rubbing his face to stop himself from crying.

Mikhail just turned and walked the opposite direction, back towards him and Jordan's place.

* * *

**This won't be a long story, just a few chapters. Prepare for angst. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Has mature content! (well, some)**

* * *

Cassius trudged along until he saw Natalie and Volkner. It was Wednesday night, meaning she would be staying with Volkner and spending the day tomorrow with him, since it was their day off. Natalie saw Cassius and waved him over, but he just shook his head. Natalie kissed Volkner quickly and hurried over to Cassius, linking his arm with hers. "Did you and Mikhail fight?" She asked, worried.

"I don't wanna talk about it right now.." He mumbled, letting his best friend lead him back to their apartment. Once there, they settled on the couch and he sighed. "Mikhail broke up with me.." He said, starting to cry. He hugged Nate, crying into her shoulder. She rubbed his back, trying to calm him down. "Oh god, Cassius.." She mumbled, barely believing it. "I was too pushy. I shouldn't have asked him about himself." Cassius said, shaking his head.

"Cassius, you've been dating him for 4 months now. It's normal for you to want to know more about him." Nate reasoned, starting to get angry with Mikhail for doing this to Cassius.

"I was too clingy." Cassius started, shaking his head. "I was too affectionate."

"No you weren't. If I can put up with it, so can Mikhail. You did nothing wrong." She continued to rub his back, trying to get him to stop crying. "Look…remember when you first met me? I didn't want you anywhere near be and I hated you, but, look at me now. We're living together and I'm letting you cry on me. That's huge character development. Mikhail might need to undergo some development." Nate said, hoping it was helping. "He's just not used to someone like you…yet. He might not ever be."

"But I love him." Cassius whined burrowing his face into her neck.

"I know you do…and I know it's not the same, but I love you." Nate mumbled. "So just because Mikhail is a little bitch and a dumbass, doesn't mean that someone doesn't love you. Lily loves you too, and so does Leighton. You've got us."

"I'M HERE!" Lily exclaimed, busting into apartment. "Volkner told me you looked upset, so I brought chocolate!" Lily jumped onto the couch and hugged Cassius tightly. "I don't know what's wrong but I'll fix it."

"Mikhail broke up with me."

"I'll destroy him."

* * *

"Hey, what's wrong?" Leighton asked, tilting her head when Mikhail didn't want to leave the apartment a few days later. "You haven't left the apartment in a couple of days."

"I don't want to talk about it." He muttered, sitting on the couch. "Oh…did you and Cassius get into an argument?" She asked. "Leighton, it's his business." Jordan said from the kitchen, feeling like his girlfriend shouldn't get too pushy.

"I just wanted to know why he wasn't feeling well." Leighton shot back. "Cassius has been so down lately, I just didn't know if you two argued. Come on, let's go get some ice cream." She grabbed the blond's arm, forcing him to get up. "A little sun will make you feel better, and so will some ice cream." Mikhail didn't even bother resisting and let Leighton take him wherever she wanted to go.

He didn't want to see Cassius at all. He couldn't handle seeing the heartbroken look on the male's face. He regretted breaking up with him, but it was for the best. That's what he told himself, anyway.

He froze when he heard Leighton call out Nate's name. The blonde girl turned on her heel when she saw Mikhail and Leighton. Her face went red and she stormed over, face in a scowl.

"Look, I don't wanna hear your excuses." Her tone was harsh, like Mikhail was expecting. She was Cassius' best friend. "I get it, Cassius is a lot to take in. He's affectionate and he's paranoid. He needs you to tell him that you like having him around. Some people can't handle it, that's understood. If you broke up with him because you're feelings for him weren't the same for what he felt for you, that's fine, but, if you broke up with him because you just don't wanna talk about your past, than you're just, urg!" She groaned. "Cassius cares so much about you, he just wanted to make you feel better. You can't shut him out like that and suddenly dump him! I get that maybe you and Jordan work a different way, you're not used to talking about your feelings or shit like that, but neither am I and look at me now."

"What….wait? You broke up with Cassius?" Leighton asked, wide eyed. "W-Why?!"

"Because Cassius wanted to know more about Mikhail." Natalie answered for him. "Mikhail, when you're in a relationship, you're supposed to trust each other. Cassius told you everything. He just wanted you to tell him something, anything, and you got scared." Natalie shook her head. "I don't hate you, but I sure as hell don't like you." Natalie turned and stormed off.

"Mikhail…" Leighton started and Mikhail shook his head. "I made a mistake." Mikhail mumbled, heading back to the apartment. "But it's over with….he hates me…"

Leighton tried to get more out of him, but once they got back to the apartment, Jordan made Leighton leave Mikhail alone, telling her it wasn't their business, it was Mikhail's. He argued that Mikhail would talk to them when he was ready, but after a week, he still wasn't ready. Leighton tried to not push it, she knew it was a sore topic, but she couldn't help it.

* * *

"Mikhail, it's almost been two weeks, wanna talk about it?" Leighton asked when she and Jordan came back from a date. Mikhail was playing a video game and he shook his head. Leighton finally snapped and grabbed him, pulling him forcefully. "I'm sick of this! I don't care how you two deal with things, but this isn't how I deal with things." She yanked him out of the apartment and into the bright sunlight. Mikhail hissed and whined, but Leighton continued pulling him around the town.

"Mikhail, I want to talk about this break up." Leighton told him, pulling him down to sit on a bench. "Why did you break up with Cassius?" She asked. Mikhail didn't say anything, so Leighton repeated the question, much more forcefully.

"Because he was just too much." Mikhail broke. "He was so affectionate and loving and I'm not used to it. You see how Jordan and I function."

"But Cassius…Cassius isn't Jordan." Leighton sighed, shaking her head. "I've talked to Cassius about what happened. You got scared, didn't you? I don't know much about your past, and we've been friends for years, so I know Cassius knew nothing about you. I don't want you to brush this conversation off and act like you're okay. You do that all the time. Cassius noticed it and so have I. I guess Jordan understands it, but the rest of us don't." She said softly. "We can't understand you if we don't know anything about you."

Mikhail groaned, leaning back on the bench. He felt rushed and it irritated him, even though he knew it was stupid to feel like that. Leighton wasn't being her usually "I just want you to stop acting like it's all okay, when it's not. C'mon, vent to me a little." Leighton said, patting his shoulder.

"I don't wanna complain." Mikhail muttered, looking at his hands in his lap. "I just feel bad doing it. I don't wanna bring others down. My sister….my sister gave up everything to raise me. My parents were shit and she was 18 when they left. I was 8, so I couldn't take care of myself. She gave up her dreams to make sure I was raised right, so I have no room to complain about things to her, and I guess I just….feel like that to everyone. Jordan lost him mom, so we just kinda clicked when we were younger."

"Oh…" Leighton mumbled, unsure what else to say. It made a lot more sense now, though. "Well, we can go tell Cassius this. He'll understand." Leighton stood, determined. "C'mon Mikhail, let's go get your man back!"

"W-what? No way, he doesn't want me." Mikhail sighed, but Leighton shook her head and yanked him up, ready to fix this problem.

"It's been two weeks, of course he still wants you." Leighton smiled, pulling him along the sidewalk. "You two can talk this all out. We can work on it together." She said confidently, but slowed as Natalie and Cassius walked towards them, bags in tow. "Hey!" Leighton called out when they turned down another street. The two hurried after the two blondes and finally caught up to them.

"Oh, hey." Natalie turned to face them, face hardening when she saw Mikhail. "What's up?"

"Where are you two going?" Leighton asked, confused as she stared at their luggage. "To Unova." Natalie answered, shrugging. "Undella Bay has underwater ruins Cynthia wants me to check out, and Cassius got asked to help train the lifeguard division over in Humilau City."

"B-But.." Leighton stuttered, for once lost for words. "Wait, you're leaving now?"

"Yeah, it'll be an adventure." Cassius smiled his bright smile, his 'nothing is wrong' smile. He flashed it at Leighton and Mikhail felt his spirit get knocked down. Maybe Cassius was moving on? "The gym leader, Marlon, is pretty excited to meet me actually. Besides, it's getting chilly here."

"That's great." Mikhail replied, surprising them all. "I bet you'll love it there." He nodded his head and smiled. A flash of pain crossed Cassius' face, but he hid it well. "I hope so." Cassius said. "Ah, better get going. We're already running behind schedule." He picked up his bags again, smiling one last time at the two before heading down the road towards the port.

"Bye." Nate said simply, hurrying after her best friend.

* * *

"You handled that well." Natalie said as she sat next to Cassius as he steered the boat into the harbor of Humilau City. It had been a quiet 2 day trip and he was surprised she was just now mentioning it. "Good job."

"Ah, I learned from the best, now didn't I?" Cassius smirked and Nate hit him gently. "I just..there's no point in being angry or upset…it's over with, he's better off without me." Cassius told her, ready to drop anchor and get off the boat and into the new city. It looked like heaven to him, with clear waters and a tropical breeze blowing.

"Hey! Are you Cassius and Natalie from Sinnoh?" An extremely tanned male with dark blue hair shouted from the port, waving his hand at the two blondes. "I'm Marlon, the gym leader of this fine city! I was told to show ya around and make sure ya settle in nicely!"

"Oh look, another you." Nate muttered, grabbing her bags from the cabin area. "Nice to meet you, Marlon. I'm Natalie, that's Cassius." She introduced herself once Marlon helped her off of the boat and onto the port. He shook her hand, smiling as he did so. "So, you're Volkner's girl, eh? He's lucky, ain't he?"

"Yes, yes he is." Natalie said as Cassius locked up his boat.

"I'm Cassius!" Cassius shook Marlon's hand once he got off of the boat. Marlon gave him a once over, obviously checking him out, then smiled at him. "Nice to meet you Cassius!"

From there, Marlon showed them to their new home for the time being, a nice resort house, surrounded by water and narrow boardwalks with no railings, much to Nate's disdain. He also checked Cassius out about five more times, though the blond male never seemed to notice it. Nate did, but she didn't really care about it too much.

"Undella is just through the tunnel there. It's being cleaned right now, but it'll be opened back up in an hour or so. Anyway, wanna go hit the beach you'll be protecting, Cas? I'm excited to have ya here!" Marlon explained, still smiling. Cassius felt extremely happy, better than he felt in the past few weeks. The sun and sand was perfect for him, and Marlon seemed so happy to see him, it made him smile.

* * *

Mikhail was sure he was becoming one with the couch. He had barely moved at all since he found out Cassius was going to Unova. He just felt hopeless and was stuck in a deep dark rut.

"Jordan, I'm worried." Leighton told her boyfriend, who didn't want to admit it, but was worried about his friend as well. Mikhail was usually able to recover quickly and put on a brave face, but Cassius must be something different to make him act this way. He hadn't gone out to train with his pokemon in at least a week, and that was definitely odd for him.

"Why don't you get out and go train with your pokemon?" Leighton suggested, not able to sit back and watch her friend do this to himself. "The beach is the best place to train and it reminds me of Cassius." Mikhail sighed, tracing a circle in the couch cushion.

Jordan's phone began to ring and he excused himself to the balcony on their apartment, knowing Mikhail and Leighton would get into an argument soon. "Hello?" Jordan asked, not bothering to check the caller i.d.

"Hello Jordan, how are you doing?" A light, female voice asked. "I hope you're doing well."

"Ah, Catarina. I'm fine, how are you?" Jordan asked, thinking of Mikhail's sister. "I'm good….I'm a little worried about Mikhail though. He's seem down whenever we talk on the phone lately. I know he won't tell me anything, so I figured I would ask you."

"Well, I don't know." Jordan lied. It was none of his business and he'd rather not interfere. "Jordan, I'm really worried about Mikhail. He's really upset that Cassius is in Unova." Leighton said, coming out onto the balcony. "He was just about to try and get back together with him too…"

"What?" Catarina asked, hearing everything. "Jordan! You lied to me."

"Catarina, look, it's not my business…" He muttered, glaring at his girlfriend. "He broke up with Cassius about three weeks ago." He told her, shaking his head. "My girlfriend, Leighton, has been pushing him about it even though I told her not to. He was going to go and tell Cassius he was sorry, but it turns out that Cassius was going to Unova, I don't know how long, with his best friend, Natalie. Now Mikhail is moping about."

"Ah, my poor baby." Catarina cooed, thinking of her younger brother. "No wonder he's been so down…he was so happy before, I figured he had found someone. Cassius…that's the boy, right?" She asked. "Was he a good guy?"

"He was and still is the best for Mikhail!" Leighton exclaimed, grabbing the phone from Jordan. "He adores Mikhail, he really does, and I know Mikhail loves him back, but I think he got scared of how much Cassius cared about him, that's why he broke it up. He really broke Cassius' heart."

"Oh no…" Catarina sighed.

* * *

Cassius stretched his arms and cracked his back, yawning as he did so. He had just taken a nap and was sitting outside of he and Nate's place in the ocean resort city. Cassius felt someone shove him from behind, almost making him fall off the walkway in Humilau City and into the water below. He turned and glared at his assaulter, which of course was the city's gym leader, Marlon. The too tanned blue haired and eyed male just shot Cassius a cheeky grin.

"Hey bud, what's up?" He asked, plopping down next to him. His white, pale legs dangled next to Cassius' tan ones. For once, Marlon wasn't wearing his ridiculous swim suit, and was just wearing a pair of normal blue swim trunks. "Did ya just wake up?"

"I took a nap." Cassius yawned against, still sleepy. The sun wore him out quicker than it wore Marlon out. He'd only been here a week, so he wasn't quiet used to it yet. Either though Sunyshore had a large beach and was very sunny, it didn't compare to Humilau City. "Why are you not at your gym?"

"Borrrinnggg. Why be there when I can be hangin' with ya?" Marlon nudged Cassius, the cheeky grin still present on the male's face. "You're the only person who will race me."

"That's because I'm the only person in this whole place that loves to swim just as much as you." Cassius replied, rubbing his face to fully wake himself up. "Hey, swimmin' is good for you. You need it!" Marlon argued, patting the blond's shoulder. "Hey, some of the lifeguards and I are going out for a drink tomorrow night! Wanna join us?"

"I dunno, Nate might wanna go out for dinner or something.."

"Scoot." Nate commanded, coming up behind them. She plopped down next to Marlon, groaning at the wood of the boardwalk sticking into her legs. She sat her bag next to her as her poke'gear continued to ring. "It's Lily." She answered and Lily's face appeared on the device.

"BONNNJJOUURRRR!" Lily exclaimed. "From Kalos!" She added, showing them the brightly lit tower behind her. "Kalos is gorgy! I never want to leave. Flint and I are having such a great timeeeee!"

"That's wonderful to hear…." Nate mumbled and Cassius waved to Lily, who smiled and waved back. "Wait, who is that boy? The tanned one?"

Nate sensed an argument coming along, so she stood up and walked down the boardwalk, out of hearing range of Marlon and Cassius. "That's Marlon, the gym leader here. He and Cas are good friends."

"No. No." Lily shook her head. "He needs to be with Mikhail, not with that boy."

"Lily, not now." Nate muttered, turning to see Cassius and Marlon laughing loudly. "Marlon is the best thing for him right now, okay?" She said goodbye to her best friend and returned to the two males.

"You sure you don't wanna come?" Marlon asked one final time. Cassius smiled, about to turn it down, when Nate smacked him on the back of the head. "Go go. I've got tons of work to do tonight. Some of the ruins in Undella Bay are about psychic pokemon and those aren't my area of expertise. It'll be a late night for the next few nights, so go run and play with Marlon." She stood up, dialing another number on her phone. "Please, be good." She told the two boys, picking up her bag and walking away from them.

"Sweet! No backing out, okay?" Marlon asked. Cassius agreed and Marlon smiled again before diving into the water, heading back to the gym.

* * *

"Yes?" Jordan asked, answering the phone. "Oh, Natalie?" Leighton's ears perked up once she heard her boyfriend say the name. "You need help with what? Oh, really now?"

"What is she saying? Nate!" Leighton clung onto her boyfriend's arm, trying to hear the conversation.

"Come to Unova?" Jordan questioned and Leighton's mouth went wide. "O-Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"There's a boat that's leaving in an hour!" Leighton cheered, showing a pamphlet to Jordan.

"See you soon, Natalie." Jordan hung up and glared at Leighton. "She only invited me."

"B-B-B-but…" Leighton whined, shaking her head as Jordan went to get his suitcase and pack. "Please, Jordan, Mikhail needs a second chance…" Her voice quieted as she heard the front door open, signaling that Mikhail had come back from his training session.

"Leighton…" Jordan murmured, thinking it over. He didn't want to do this to Nate and Cassius, blind side them by showing up with Leighton and Mikhail in tow. Yet, he knew that Mikhail needed this, even if they didn't get back together, maybe he could get some closure.

"What's going on?" Mikhail asked when he trudged into the hallway. He looked worn out, most likely from the training, but he looked…different. Jordan knew he had been putting on a brave face, forcing himself to be happy when he wasn't and telling his sister that he was fine, but Jordan knew he wasn't okay.

"We're going to Unova in one hour. Get packed." Jordan said and Leighton squealed.

* * *

It was the next morning when Cassius felt someone put their arm around his shoulders."Wanna go for a swim?" Marlon asked when Cassius didn't answer his first question. He nudged the blond male, hoping for an answer. "Yeah." Cassius said, starting to feel better once Marlon dove into the water and pulled Cassius with him.

"You ass." Cassius splashed him. Marlon splashed him back and dove under the water's surface, swimming away quickly. Cassius swam after him, almost catching him before Marlon jumped out of the water like a missile. Cassius wasn't so graceful, but did the same, rolling onto the boardwalk that was right in front of the place he and Nate were staying at in the town. Cassius stood up, rubbing his back that he was sure had splinters in it. "Why can't you actually have normal walkways here? Why is it all wood and boardwalks?"

"Makes the place more laid back." Marlon grinned, then looked over Cassius' shoulder. "Yo, Natalie! What's up my pale buddy?" He asked as he saw Natalie approaching, three other people following her. Cassius froze, gripped Marlon's arm when he saw Mikhail. "What's wrong?" Marlon asked as Natalie turned to the trio, telling them to wait a second. She hurried up to the two males, a frown on her face.

"Look, I only invited Jordan here, I promise. I need help in the ruins, and he was the only person that I could think of that could help me. He didn't tell me he was going to bring Leighton and Mikhail."

"I-It's fine, don't worry about it." Cassius said, shaking his head. "Hey guys!" He waved, putting on a bright smile. The trio assumed it was alright, so they approached the group.

"It's so nice to see you two again!" Leighton smiled but gave Natalie a questioning look, wondering why Cassius was holding onto another man's arm. "Mikhail, Jordan, Leighton, this is Marlon." Natalie said.

"Welcome to my city!" Marlon boomed, shaking their hands. "I'm the city's gym leader! It's great to meet you all! I'd love to stay and chat, but Cassius and I have some things to take care of, don't we?" Marlon asked his friend, sensing something was off with the male. "I hope to see you guys later, c'mon Cas!" Marlon said and ran to the end of the boardwalk before diving into the water.

"See you guys later!" Cassius shouted, following after Marlon. "Be careful!" Natalie shouted as Cassius dove into the water.

* * *

Cassius downed another drink, feeling especially horrible tonight. Marlon had been a great friend and kept him entertained all day, keeping his mind off of Mikhail, but now he couldn't help but think about the boy. Being in a totally different region than him had helped greatly, but now, it seemed pointless.

"Heeyyyy." Marlon greeted, a half empty glass of something in his hand. "What's wrong, my little multi-color haired friend?" Marlon plopped down next to on the booth. His arm slung around Cassius' shoulders, like it usually did whenever he was around the blond and brunet boy. Cassius leaned into it, downing another drink the waitress had brought to him. "An ex of mine…was…..in the group you…met today." Cassius grumbled.

"The girl?" Marlon asked, sipping his drink. "No, the boy, Mikhail." Cassius said and Marlon gave him a surprised look. "I'm bi." Cassius explained, wanting another drink. "He….he dumped me for being too nosey and affectionate."

"That's crazy, who doesn't want a good looking boy like you all up on them?" Marlon questioned before finishing up his drink, signaling to the waitress that he wanted another. Cassius blushed, wondering if it was because of the alcohol or what Marlon had just said.

Cassius looked at Marlon, who was already looking at him. "You're adorable." Marlon grinned, pinching Cassius' cheek. Cassius smacked his hand away clumsily, the alcohol starting to kick in. "You areeeeee." Marlon pulled him closer, nuzzling his neck affectionately. "M-Marlon.." Cassius mumbled once he felt Marlon kiss his neck. Cassius wondered how many drinks Marlon had downed. He had heard from the other lifeguards that Marlon got pretty touchy once he had enough in him, and Cassius was now sure he had enough in him when he felt one of his hands slide up Cassius' thigh.

Cassius didn't really know what to do, but he felt like shit and Marlon's touches and the alcohol were really making him feel better, so he leaned into the touch, wrapping his arms around Marlon's neck as the gym leader moved from his neck to lips. It was a sloppy and drunk kiss, but that was expected.

Marlon pulled away from the kiss and pulled Cassius out of the booth. "Later guys!" Marlon called back to the others while he kept Cassius close. "My place." Marlon mumbled into Cassius' ear. Cassius didn't argue, and followed him back to his place. Thank god it wasn't too long of a walk, because he was sure neither of them could make it.

Marlon pushed Cassius onto his bed and crawled on top of him swiftly, mouth going straight back to Cassius' mouth, his tongue pushing into Cassius' mouth with no trouble at all. "Marlon…" Cassius moaned as Marlon's hands pulled off his own t-shirt, before pulling Cassius' off and moving his mouth to his chest. "Adorrrraaabbbllleeee." Marlon chuckled, sucking and biting, leaving marks all across his chest and neck.

"Not enjoying being on the bottom?" Marlon smirked and Cassius shook his head. "Ohhh weeellll." Marlon chuckled as his hand slipped into Cassius' pants, palming his crotch. Cassius moaned arching his back slightly. "M-Marlon, c'mon.." He groaned, trying to sit up. "Nah, I'm enjoying this too much." Marlon moved his mouth back to Cassius', swallowing all of Cassius' moans as Marlon's hand picked up it's pace. Marlon broke the kiss for air, smiling down at Cassius, whose eyes were squeezed shut and cheeks bright red. His hand slipped into Cassius' boxers and his hand ran along Cassius now hard shaft, making the blond moaned more loudly. "Marlon…" He moaned, biting his lip. He wasn't used to being on the receiving end of these actions, but they felt amazing, even if they were sloppily done.

"This is goin' be fun." Marlon grinned while Cassius blushed.

* * *

Cassius woke up sore and with a horrible headache. He was tangled in the sheets of a foreign bed. The blinds were luckily closed, so the bright sunshine wasn't blinding him.

"Here." Marlon's voice said and a glass of water appeared in front of Cassius' face. He took it and downed it before handing it back and laying down. "Never had a hangover before?"

"No." Cassius groaned, turning in the bed to face Marlon, who sat on the edge of the bed, a small smile on his face. "My ass hurts…."

"That was not a result of the drinking." Marlon chuckled, getting up to get Cassius some medicine and another glass of water.

"Oh my god did we-"

"Yes, we did. Gee, don't sound so mortified." Marlon called out from his kitchen. Cassius groaned, hiding under the covers once Marlon came back into the room. "Swallow." He handed him the pill, then the water, all of each Cassius downed easily.

"So we fucked?" Cassius questioned, looking at his friend.

"'Dunno, you sore?" Marlon asked.

"Hell yes." Cassius replied, rubbing his ass.

"Then yes, we fucked. Was I any good?"

"Marlon!" Cassius exclaimed, face red.

"Look, I need critique so I can improve." Marlon joked and Cassius almost cracked a smile. This should be a lot more awkward, but Marlon made it feel…normal. Like, it was normal to get drunk and fuck around with your friend.

"You were fine, how about me?"

"A complete hot mess, gets me horny just thinking about it." Marlon smirked. "But seriously, dude, we were both drunk, and you just saw your ex, and I get horny when I'm drunk, so no worries. We're still bros, right?"

"Yeah." Cassius smiled, but curled up under the covers. "I'm going back to sleep though."

"Yeah, might wanna try to sleep off the hickies…" Marlon noted, looking at the marks all over Cassius' neck and collar.

"Oh, shit, Marlon!" Cassius glared, groaning as he looked at his chest. "My head is killing me…."

"Yeah, that was caused by the alcohol."

* * *

Cassius fiddled with the bracelet Marlon had given him for winning a race. He knew his hickies were visible to everyone, even with his shirt covering them up. Marlon had really gone to town the night before.

He was hoping to make it back to he and Nate's place before anyone could see him, but things didn't go his way very often anymore.

Mikhail was walking down the boardwalk, straight towards him.

"Afternoon." Cassius greeted, trying to be friendly. "After…noon.." Mikhail started, but trailed off as he saw the hickies on Cassius' neck. He just looked at Cassius, who looked at the ground, before he continued walking, almost jogging, away from Cassius.

"Mikhail…" Cassius groaned, shaking his head.


End file.
